


An Introduction to the Real Jorvik

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-05-28 10:09:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19391935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Louisa takes Mrs Holdsworth's advice and takes a ride out to Valedale Village.





	1. Chapter 1

Louisa's mind swirled with questions the whole ride from Moorland to Valedale. What had just happened? Was there more to Jorvik than she thought? Should she have brought her things with her? Some clothes, perhaps? How long would she be here? Was she about to be sent away somewhere? Was she in the process of being sent away somewhere? How had this even happened? She'd never been able to do anything like that before, and there had been plenty of times when the ability to heal would have been useful. When she'd broken her arm, when her sister had broken her ankle, when the family dog had gotten into some strife involving a barbed wire fence...

But Louisa could only focus on the road ahead. It was better to do that, better to not worry quite so much. The road was certainly beautiful, if a little more wooded than what she was used to. But the path, at least, was wide and clear, and the sunlight dappled through the leaves so nicely that she could almost forget about what had happened. If not for the memory of what had happened, and the knowledge of where she was going, she could have felt like a normal girl off for a ride with her wonderful new horse to a place that she'd only been to once before.

And Valedale Village was, certainly, beautiful. There were rose bushes absolutely everywhere once Louisa rode out of the woods, and the houses had thatched roofs and bright blue shutters. Like something out of a storybook, a fairytale. There it was again. Fairytale. Louisa slowed Goldie to a stop, trying to breathe deeply. Jorvik was just like a fairytale, complete with the magic, hidden or otherwise. Louisa closed her eyes, fighting off the panic before it could drag her under. She was okay. This was okay. The druids would explain everything, or at least point her in the right direction. The distant roar of the waterfall helped Louisa focus her thoughts, and by the time she opened her eyes again, she felt calm. She could do this.

"Hi there! I think I've seen you around here before, Louisa, right?" said Claire, the middle-aged woman who ran the stables.

"Yeah, that's me," said Louisa, nodding. "I'm looking for Elizabeth Sunbeam?"

"Ah," said Claire, and there was a knowing look in her eyes. "So you're interested in that, then?"

"Something like that," said Louisa, her heart picking up speed as the memory of pink-glowing hands flashed behind her eyelids.

"She lives right up there," said Claire, pointing to a cottage that had green shutters. It was tucked a little out of the way, on a small rise with a low stone wall surrounding it. There were even more rose bushes here, too. And a runestone, like many that she'd seen around the island.

"Thanks," said Louisa, taking a deep breath.

"Lizzie's nice, don't worry," said Claire. "You'll be fine. She doesn't bite, unless you give her reason to."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Louisa, her eyes on Elizabeth's house. It was so quiet and peaceful here that it was quite easy for Louisa to calm down again. This would be fine.

That feeling of calm lasted only until Louisa dismounted Goldie outside of the cottage that Claire had told her to go to. It was one thing to think that it would go okay, but quite another entirely to show up and introduce herself to a complete stranger. Goldie nickered behind her, breaking through Louisa's worry enough that she could step forward and knock on the door. The green wood was carved with designs that Louisa had seen decorating some of her aunt's things- suns, stars, moons, and lightning bolts. There were more suns than anything else, though. Even the doorknob had a sun etched into it.

Louisa barely swallowed a scream when the door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with long red hair. Despite the lines adorning her face, her eyes looked youthful, and there was not a single strand of grey in her hair.

"Louisa?" the woman asked. Now, Louisa felt shaken again.

"How did you know my name?" Louisa asked. "Is that a druid power too?" The woman, presumably Elizabeth, laughed.

"No, not for those not in the Moon Circle," said Elizabeth. "Mrs Holdsworth sent me a text message letting me know you were coming. I'm Elizabeth, by the way."

"Oh, right," said Louisa. "And I'm Louisa but you already know that." Her face felt hot, and she knew that she was shaking. "Did Mrs Holdsworth tell you exactly what happened?"

"No, she left that up to you," said Elizabeth. "Come in, I know all this is going to be a lot to take in so I'm sure you'd like to sit down. Do you want a cup of tea or coffee?"

"Uh, tea, please," said Louisa, glancing at Goldie before stepping inside. Elizabeth looked at Goldie, giving him a warm smile that the horse seemed to return.

Elizabeth's house reminded Louisa so strongly of her aunt that she was almost brought to tears. Along with the usual clutter garnered by a long and interesting life, there were yet more druid-related artifacts. Many pieces of fabric and pillows and crockery adorned with those suns and other symbols of the druids, little horse statues and some bonsai trees, and, oddly, some horse figurines that Louisa had collected when she'd been younger. But there were also some photographs featuring four teenage girls in all different clothing styles and skin colours and heights and shapes and sizes. Some of the pictures had horses in them, but one grey horse with a strange marking on her forehead stood out more than the rest. Louisa didn't touch or pick up these photos, but she did look at them. And Elizabeth noticed.

"Sorry about the mess, I'm a bit of a pack rat," said Elizabeth with a laugh. "Come on, let's go through to the kitchen, I'll make your tea and explain things to you."

"Is the grey horse yours?" Louisa asked, right before her eyes landed on a picture of Elizabeth with the horse. Stupid question. "The, uh, one with the marking on her forehead, I mean."

"Hm? Oh, yes, that's my girl," said Elizabeth, smiling fondly at the picture. "Calenthe."

"She's beautiful," said Louisa.

"Thank you," said Elizabeth, turning that smile on her. "Is that your horse outside?"

"He's the one I'm borrowing for the summer, yeah," said Louisa, nodding. "Goldmist, but I just call him Goldie. He's very even-tempered for a stallion."

"Horses in this line of work, and on Jorvik in general, often are far different to horses anywhere else," said Elizabeth. "Right, let's get you that tea."

Louisa nodded and followed Elizabeth into her kitchen, which looked quite old-fashioned but in a good way. Louisa took a seat at the wooden table (carved with more of those symbols) while Elizabeth busied herself making tea for the two of them.

"Have you been in Jorvik long?" Elizabeth asked while the kettle boiled. Louisa wasn't surprised to find that Elizabeth placed the metal teapot on a stove burner, which was lit by a flame. Her dad made tea the same way, but Louisa was planning on buying an electric kettle when she had a place of her own.

"About a month or so," said Louisa.

"Aideen does tend to strike at the worst of times," Elizabeth muttered. "But don't worry, we'll help you adjust to this." The tea was soon ready, and Elizabeth poured it out before placing both cups and the teapot (now covered with a tea cosy and sitting on a circle of wood to protect the table) on the table and taking a seat across from Louisa.

"Everything does always seem to happen at once to me," said Louisa. "Maybe that's just my fate."

"Don't be too down," said Elizabeth. "I understand that you might be frightened, but everyone in the druids has gone through this before. There are even some around your age."

"There are?" Louisa asked. "What, was the summer camp actually a cover to find people with magical powers like Professor X's School for Mutants?" She immediately felt stupid for saying so, but Elizabeth's grin and bright laughter lessened the embarrassment somewhat.

"Now, that's a new one. Also an apt description," said Elizabeth. "But no, we have no connection to Thomas Moorland. Though we have tried but he's just not having it. It's just a very strange coincidence, especially now after Justin..." She shook her head. "But we can discuss that later, tell me what happened to you."

"So much for using that as a distraction," said Louisa with a wry smile. Elizabeth grinned back at her. "Um... I was just out riding with Goldie and then I thought I saw a Bobcat Girl and she scared me so I ran into a fence and sprained my ankle but then I just touched my ankle and wanted it to get better and next thing I knew, I was right as rain and the pain was gone. And my hands were glowing pink. Sorry, I hope that wasn't too confusing."

"That had considerably less swearing than usual," said Elizabeth. Louisa laughed, surprised at her reaction. "When you healed yourself, did you hear anything?"

"No, not that I can remember," said Louisa, frowning as she tried to think. "Why?"

"Huh. Well, maybe that'll come later, or maybe you just didn't notice it given everything that was going on," said Elizabeth. "But this is actually a very good thing."

"Hopefully for me as well," said Louisa.

"Oh, yes, of course," said Elizabeth, nodding. "You're basically your own healer. Now, the human body can heal itself, your ability just speeds it up and smooths things out to be as good as possible."

"How did you know that?" Louisa blurted. "I didn't even tell you that my ankle felt better than ever." Elizabeth's smile was knowing.

"I may not be a member of the Star Circle, but I know how their magic works," said Elizabeth. "The pink, the music, and how it makes you feel like you've never been injured before."

"I hope I don't have to learn how to play an instrument or anything," said Louisa.

"No, that's just how the Star Circle magic presents itself sometimes," said Elizabeth. "Our most important Star Circle member, Lisa Peterson, heals through her singing. Others heal using their instruments, or by humming, or even through dance. Music is at the heart of the Star Circle, but it isn't necessary to perform. The only minor snag is that we don't really have anyone who can teach you, since Lisa is missing."

"I feel like that's a common theme around here," said Louisa. Elizabeth laughed.

"Ah, you've only been here a month or so and you've already figured that out," said Elizabeth. "Not a very good thing to be known for, I must admit. It's sad, really."

"It is," said Louisa, tears brimming in her eyes at the thought of all of those lost people and their worried relatives. She wanted her dad suddenly, more than ever.

"It'll be okay, though," said Elizabeth, patting Louisa's hand. Louisa sipped at her tea to swallow her tears. Elizabeth had known to add milk and sugar, but Mrs Holdsworth had probably told her about that too. Louisa visited her often enough.

"So what happens to me now?" Louisa asked.

"Well, one of our other Star Circle members will take you under their wing and teach you how to use your newfound abilities, as well as how to hone them," said Elizabeth. "I wish that Lisa was here to teach you, but until we find her..." She shook her head sadly.

"Will I have to move here?" Louisa asked. "Do I have to leave the Summer Camp?" She was aware that she was panicking, so she sipped more of the tea. It had an oddly soothing effect, for which Louisa was grateful. Elizabeth and Mrs Holdsworth must have the same tea blend or something.

"No and no," said Elizabeth. "As long as you don't mind the ride here."

"Not at all," said Louisa. "The ride's really nice, actually."

"That's good to hear," said Elizabeth. "And don't worry, I'll keep checking in on you while you're here learning."

"Thank you," said Louisa, smiling at Elizabeth. "For everything." The smile that Elizabeth gave her in return was so motherly that Louisa felt a few tears fall. Maybe she should call her Aunt Martine tonight, to tell her that Jorvik really was just like she'd always said. Druids and all.


	2. A History of Jorvik

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth sits Louisa down for a brief history lesson on what she's stumbled into.

After that first meeting with Elizabeth, Louisa felt like her daily life and routine on Jorvik had changed significantly in what she was sure was a permanent way. And it was... scary. That first night, Louisa had gone to bed with her mind whirling with questions. And every time she'd closed her eyes, she'd seen her hands glowing pink. And there was this odd tune in her head, too, one that she'd never heard before. It sounded like a harp. But, no matter how much she searched her music player or the internet, Louisa couldn't find the harp song that she had stuck in her head. Was this part of some kind of transformation? Was she about to turn into a magical girl or something, or suddenly sprout wings or horns or additional limbs? It was a wonder that she could even sleep, honestly.

But, eventually, exhaustion won out and Louisa slipped into an uneasy sleep. Waking up at dawn the next day for her usual riding camp responsibilities was the hardest that it had ever been, and Louisa headed straight for the coffee pot. That was one of the new things about Jorvik- there was no instant coffee, only that which could be made in a percolator or coffee machine or purchased from a cafe. Louisa didn't have enough money for cafe coffee every day, though, nor was there one near enough to be worth it. Fort Pinta was a long ride away when you were half asleep, and by the time she got there, the ride and crisp morning air would have woken her up anyway.

"Oh, there you are, Louisa," said Jenna, seeing her. "I didn't hear you come in last night."

"Yeah, I had trouble sleeping so I decided to go for a late-night ride," said Louisa, lying to cover the fact that she'd ridden aimlessly with Goldie for a while in a fruitless attempt to clear her head. "I hope that's okay." Jenna frowned and came to sit at the little picnic table that Louisa had sat down at. The stronger campers would move these picnic tables out of the stable courtyard after breakfast, a task that Louisa was glad she didn't have to do.

"The other girls aren't still giving you trouble, are they?" Jenna asked, her brow still furrowed in concern. Louisa had to laugh.

"I wish my problems could be that small and petty and normal," said Louisa. "Have you ever heard about the Keepers of Aideen?"

"Not many on this island haven't," said Jenna. "Our local blacksmith, Conrad, actually deals with them quite regularly, though Thomas has had some disagreements with them lately so they tend not to hang around. Why do you ask?"

"Well... do you believe that they can actually do, you know, magic?" Louisa asked, not sure how much she should reveal to Jenna. Maybe Jenna would call her crazy, or worse. Her eyes flicked up to Jenna, who looked thoughtful.

"The only people on this island who don't believe in magic are fools," said Jenna. "Of course I believe in it, I've seen what Justin can do. Could do. No, can, he's not dead, I'm sure of it." She shook her head. "Anyway, why do you ask?"

"Okay, so what I'm about to say might sound crazy," said Louisa.

"I'm listening," said Jenna, leaning a little closer. Louisa took a deep breath, let it out, then took a gulp of her coffee for good measure. It scalded her tongue only slightly, but at least it broke her out of her fear-stricken state.

"I sprained my ankle yesterday and then healed it with magic," said Louisa. "It just came to me suddenly, like I wanted my ankle to get better and I was holding it because it hurt and then my hands glowed pink and it started feeling better. So I went to Mrs Holdsworth because she knows everything when it comes to this kind of magical stuff, and then she sent me to Elizabeth and she told me that I have Star Circle magic. Only I didn't hear a song but then I got back here and I had this harp music stuck in my head so maybe that's what she meant by 'music'. But I've never heard that song before." She struggled to meet Jenna's gaze, afraid of what she might see. She really hoped that she hadn't just made Jenna think that she was crazy.

"Okay," said Jenna, nodding. "Wow. That's..."

"Crazy, right?" said Louisa.

"No, no," said Jenna. "But I can see now why you had trouble sleeping."

"Heh, yeah," said Louisa. "Tell me about it."

"I could help you with Loretta but I'm afraid that I can't help you with this," said Jenna. "But you are going to see Elizabeth or one of the other druids soon, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah, definitely," said Louisa, nodding. "She actually told me to come back today so I'd better finish this coffee and have some brekky and head off. It is okay if I do that, right?"

"As I've said to Willow and Daine before you, it's fine, go," said Jenna. "What you've found yourself caught up in is... something far more important than some university degree."

"Nothing can ever be simple with me, can it?" said Louisa with a sigh. "So much for showing up Loretta." Jenna laughed. "What?"

"I'd say that being part of the team to save the world is a tad bit more than showing up a snobby rich brat," said Jenna. "Did Elizabeth tell you that yet?"

"No but my aunt did," said Louisa. "She used to talk about the Soul Riders all the time when I was a kid but..."

"Let me guess," said Jenna with a knowing smile. "You brushed it all off as fairytales?"

"Yeah," said Louisa. "Guess I should've paid better attention, huh?"

"I'm sure she'd be willing to tell you again," said Jenna. "Though, having the druids teach you would be best."

"So I'm excused from my duties for the day?" Louisa asked. Jenna nodded.

"Go save the world or at least learn the basics," said Jenna. "After you've had some breakfast, of course, because I've heard that learning magic on an empty stomach can be more dangerous than doing hard manual labour on an empty stomach."

"Got it," said Louisa, nodding as she reached for her plate that she'd piled high with breakfast food and began to dig in.

That food, however, sat heavy in Louisa's stomach yet at the same time threatened to come up when she dismounted Goldmist in front of Elizabeth's house again about an hour later. Telling herself to breathe and that it would be fine, she knocked on the door.

Today, Elizabeth was dressed similarly to how she had yesterday, in a pale green dress with a pale pink apron over the front of it. Seeing her immediately made Louisa feel better. So today wouldn't be a lesson, then. At least, not a magic one to start off with.

"Good morning, Louisa," said Elizabeth, giving her a warm smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Do I have to tell the truth?" Louisa asked. Elizabeth shook her head, still smiling.

"I feared as much," said Elizabeth. "I knew I should have sent you home with some more of that Sweet Dreams Tea."

"I knew there was something special about that tea," said Louisa. "Also yes, that would have been handy."

"I'll send you home with some today," said Elizabeth. "Though today could be easier on your nerves, depending on how you react."

"That doesn't really make me feel better," said Louisa. Elizabeth sighed.

"Yep, time for more tea," said Elizabeth. "I'll put the kettle on."

"What is today, anyway?" Louisa asked, following Elizabeth back through the house to the kitchen where she'd learned of her magical abilities yesterday. That seemed like a week ago now, but it also still felt like a dream. Maybe it always would feel that way.

"Today, we're just having a little history lesson," said Elizabeth. "I find it helps to know what you're in for. Or maybe it doesn't."

"It probably would help to know," said Louisa, taking a seat at the table. She watched as Elizabeth made the tea, now noting that the mixture didn't look like any tea leaves she was familiar with. Maybe her aunt had given some to her mother when she'd struggled with running the farm back when Louisa had been younger, but that memory was hazy at best.

"Okay," said Elizabeth, taking a seat across from her. "So, before we start, how much do you know already about the history of Jorvik?"

"Well, considering I wrote it off as a fairytale..." said Louisa, shrugging. "I really wish I hadn't, now, but I guess what's done is done."

"It'll help to have a refresher anyway," said Elizabeth. "Now, the most common history of Jorvik is that Jon Jarl sailed the globe searching for a place to call his own and he stumbled across Jorvik. He named it after his father and then met some natives and so many horses, and he began colonising. But that's not the story that we druids know. The story of Jorvik begins centuries before Jon Jarl ever set foot on it, long before even the native Jorvegians settled here. It began on one dark and stormy night, as all good stories do. As my story did, really." She gave a smile that was fondly nostalgic, making Louisa wonder about Elizabeth's own story. But that could come at a later day, maybe. "In the beginning, they say, all was dark. And then, suddenly, a bright light shone in the sky and struck the desolate rock that would later become Jorvik. The impact caused the landmass to rise from the sea, and a girl rode forth out of that bright light wielding a harp and a light. She rode across the land on her magnificent steed, bringing light and life in her wake. And all was peaceful. But, of course, that peace was not to last. Within centuries, a great evil came to Jorvik in the form of a kind of dark deity known as Garnok. He threatened to destroy the land that Aideen had so carefully cultivated and created, and she would not stand for it. And so, Aideen chose four riders, four heroes, to gift some of her power to. The gift of destruction that she named Lightning. The gift of foresight that she called Moon. The gift of travel between worlds that she called Sun. And, of course, the gift of healing that she called Star. With their powers combined, these four great riders fought back against the darkness and eventually banished Garnok to another dimension. That is where the story should have ended. Should. But after one hundred years had passed, Garnok's power grew stronger and he strove to break free. The Soul Riders, as Aideen had named her heroes, fought him back alone as Aideen had vanished with Garnok's imprisonment. Perhaps she could not face what she had done, or perhaps giving up her power had weakened her too much to stay on this mortal plane. Whatever the reasoning, Garnok has continued to peak every hundred years, so Jorvik has always had four Soul Riders to fight back against that darkness. Our current group is a Sisterhood, of which we currently have two."

Once she'd finished speaking, silence reigned in the kitchen. Louisa couldn't find her words, which wasn't unusual for hr. At last, though, she managed something.

"So the stories are true," said Louisa. Elizabeth nodded.

"Well, the stories told by the druids. Mostly," said Elizabeth. "Of course, some bias exists, which you'll no doubt come across later on. But you don't need to worry about that just yet. All you need to know right now is that you show strong powers in the Star Circle."

"Wait, are you saying that I could become the new Soul Rider of the Star Circle?" Louisa asked. Part of her recoiled at the very idea.

"I'm not," said Elizabeth. "Others might, though. But I strongly believe that Lisa is still alive, it's just a matter of finding her. Starshine would know if-" She cut herself off. "But yes, that's the story of Jorvik, or the Cliff Notes version. Any questions?"

"I can come back and ask you anytime, right?" Louisa asked. Elizabeth nodded. "Then no, I don't have any questions right now."

"Okay," said Elizabeth, nodding. "Then you're free to go. You could go back to the camp, but I suggest making a visit to the library in Silverglade Manor. Just tell the Baroness that Elizabeth sent you, she might grumble a bit but I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Well, I do like reading," said Louisa. "Not that I think I'll be able to concentrate with all this new information."

"I meant that you should study up on Jorvik's history," said Elizabeth. "It's interesting, if nothing else."

"Oh right, yeah, that makes sense," said Louisa, nodding.

"I know this is a lot to take in," said Elizabeth. "Trust me, I know the feeling well. But you will get used to it. You might even come to love it. But right now, just try getting your head around it. That'll be the first battle."

"it always is," said Louisa. "Thanks, Elizabeth. I'll let you know if I have any questions or concerns."

"I'll give you my number," said Elizabeth, taking her jPhone out of her apron pocket. It looked jarring, given her rustic surroundings. "That way, you'll always be able to reach me."

"Thank you," said Louisa. She knew that she'd definitely be calling Elizabeth a lot in the future. She trusted her already, honestly. At least she'd have Elizabeth with her through this whole mess.


	3. Growing Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth finally gets Louisa to practice her magic, but something strange happens...

For the first week or so, Louisa spent much of her time doing some 'book learning' on all things druids. She wanted to know not only what was expected of her and how her power worked but also everything about this new life that she'd stumbled into without even realising or intending it. It definitely had nothing to do with her fear over how she'd use this power or how she'd learn to use it. Not that she was squeamish or anything, that kind of thing was not only discouraged but also downright dangerous on farms, she just... didn't want anyone else to get hurt so that she could heal them.

But at last, Elizabeth brought a stop to this avoidance, cornering Louisa on her way through the halls of Silverglade Manor to the library. The first thing that Louisa thought was that Elizabeth looked very out of place in such fancy surroundings dressed in her usual druid attire. She even had a grass stain on the sleeve of her dress, though that could easily have been from mixing up some kind of potion or salve. Or just from cooking, Elizabeth certainly did enough of that. Louisa was just never sure if she was cooking or making druid mixtures, it all smelled the same. So many unneeded herbs...

"Return that book but then don't get another one," said Elizabeth, a smile curving her lips. Louisa looked down at her feet, blushing as she held the book to her chest (she'd brought it up in front of her in her sudden shock at seeing Elizabeth there).

"Why do I feel like I just got caught sneaking cookies?" Louisa asked with a laugh. Her heart was finally starting to beat again. "You scared the shit outta me. Uh, sorry for swearing."

"You know I don't mind," said Elizabeth with a laugh. "Or were you apolgising to the fancy house?" Louisa's cheeks were as red as Elizabeth's hair.

"I don't want to answer that," said Louisa. Elizabeth laughed knowingly.

"But I meant what I said," said Elizabeth. "Return that book to the library but then you're coming with me. It's time to learn how to use those powers of yours."

"I know," said Louisa, looking down. "Isn't there, like, some kind of meditation or something we should do?"

"Other teachers might go that route, yes," said Elizabeth, nodding. "But right now, we need to get you healing. Some of our new 'recruits' are... a little reckless when it comes to their health and safety."

"Oh," said Louisa. That made her feel a little better about learning. But... "How exactly am I going to learn?"

"Well, on humans, ideally," said Elizabeth. "I'm just wondering how much we'll need since you won't know where the injury is. But I'm sure we'll figure that out. Right now, I'm taking you to the druid hospital."

"We have one of those?" Louisa blurted, then blushed. "I mean..."

"Of course we do," said Elizabeth. "Granted, it's probably not the huge facility you're expecting, it's more of a large house, but of course we need somewhere to take our sick or injured where our healers look after them."

"Okay," said Louisa, nodding, her heart thumping somewhere near her throat. "Holy shit, this is real, isn't it?"

"It is indeed," said Elizabeth. "And I'm sorry, I know you'd like more time, but right now, we don't have the luxury for that, I'm afraid."

"Damn," Louisa muttered. She sighed. "Alright, I'll put this book away."

After doing just that, Louisa gave the library one last, mournful glance. She wanted nothing more than to get lost in those shelves and find a little corner to curl up in and read a book. It was how she'd dealt with anxiety when she'd been a kid, after all, and how she'd dealt with high school stress. When she was in a library, anyway, mostly, she went riding with Westie and curled up with a book somewhere in the bush. But Goldie always tried to take Louisa back to Valedale, either told to by the druids or knowing that Louisa should grow a pair and face her destiny already.

Whatever the reason, Goldie definitely seemed happy as Louisa rode him beside Elizabeth on Calenthe back across The Everwind Fields and through the Hollow Woods, finally breaking out of the trees and onto the road. Elizabeth had decided to turn it into a little race to Valedale, and, though Louisa didn't want to go there (certainly not quickly), there was definitely something mercifully relaxing about losing herself to the race.

"So much for being nervous," Elizabeth joked as she rode up beside Louisa in front of the Valedale Stables. Louisa blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear before dismounting and leading Goldie over to the feed and water.

"Goldie sabotaged me, I swear," said Louisa. She sighed. "Okay, now where to? Let's get this over with."

"One thing first," said Elizabeth, dismounting Calenthe and leading her beside Goldie. "Why are you so nervous? You can heal, your ankle is testament to that."

"I just don't want someone to get hurt just so I can practice," said Louisa. "It seems so selfish."

"Oh, don't worry, you'll start with minor things like scratches first," said Elizabeth. "Gradually, we can progress to bigger things like broken bones and maybe even internal injuries, depending on how it goes."

"But someone still has to get hurt," said Louisa. Elizabeth smiled fondly at her, taking Louisa's hand and patting it.

"I'm proud of you for caring so much," said Elizabeth. "But it's a worthy sacrifice."

"You say that like you're the sacrifice," said Louisa. Elizabeth smiled at her knowingly this time.

"To be honest, that's why I've been giving you time," said Elizabeth with a laugh. "I don't much like getting hurt either, but it needs to be done."

"Elizabeth, no," said Louisa, tears springing to her eyes. "Don't hurt yourself for me, please."

"Trust me, I've been through worse," said Elizabeth with a laugh. "I'm an adventurer at heart, I've gotten myself into my fair share of scrapes and accidents in my time."

"But still," said Louisa. Elizabeth sighed, snagging something from her apron pocket. She flipped open a pocket knife and, before Louisa could do or say anything, she pressed the tip of her middle finger to the tip. Louisa gasped as pain sparked in her own middle finger, though blood only welled on Elizabeth's.

"I know, it wasn't pleasant to see, but- Louisa, are you okay?" Elizabeth asked, widening her eyes as she saw Louisa cradling her hand and staring at her middle finger. She poked it, confusion warring with pain on her face.

"Is that some kind of magical druid knife or something?" Louisa asked. "Why did I feel that too?" Elizabeth looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Heal my finger," said Elizabeth, holding it out to Louisa. Louisa touched Elizabeth's finger, again 'wishing' it better, and a pink glow surrounded the two digits before the pain vanished.

"What was that?" Louisa asked, still looking at the bloodied tip of her finger. Elizabeth hummed thoughtfully, then pulled her phone out of her pocket. Moments later, Louisa yelped as pain spread across her palm, like a burn. "What's happening?"

"Come with me," said Elizabeth, taking Louisa by the uninjured hand and leading her across the stone bridge. The pain in Louisa's hand only increased, accompanied with a new ache in her ankle and her ear and her head...

Louisa almost collapsed when she set foot inside the large house across the river, the one that looked like a bigger version of Elizabeth's.

"Avalon, I need your help," said Elizabeth as a grey-robed druid almost floated across the floor to meet her. Louisa sagged against her, barely able to breathe from the amount of pain she was in.

"I can see that," said the druid, evidently Avalon. "What happened to her?"

"Nothing, I just had her heal my finger and now she's-" Elizabeth began, but Avalon cut her off.

"By Aideen, I'd heard of this before but never expected to see it," said Avalon. "Get her out of here, she's overwhelmed."

Louisa tried to suck in breath, but it was so hard when new pains kept assaulting her body. The pain had gone away last time she'd healed, so...

"No," said Louisa, struggling to stand on her own. "Show me where the pain is. Where the patients are."

"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked, frowning at her in concern.

"If I heal them, the pain will go away," Louisa murmured.

"Come with me, then," said Elizabeth, gripping Louisa by the wrist and helping her to the first door. The pain in Louisa's wrist strengthened as she opened the door. "Breathe, Louisa, breathe through the pain."

"Give me your wrist," said Louisa, seeing the teenage girl sitting on the bed. The girl held her wrist out at a nod from Elizabeth, and Louisa tried to grip it loosely and 'wished' for it to be better. Once the pain vanished, Louisa felt like she could breathe again. Until another wave of pain almost made her double over.

"Aideen, give her strength," Elizabeth murmured as she led Louisa from room to room. Gradually, each pain vanished- the splitting headache from a skull fracture, the painful jaw from a broken jaw, the stabbing pains from broken ribs, another sprained wrist, a sprained ankle, a sprained knee... and, finally, the burn from someone who had burnt their hand on purpose.

"Are you satisfied with your care?" Louisa murmured as her knees folded beneath her. Thankfully, Elizabeth caught her before she could hit the ground.

When Louisa woke up, her head was throbbing, but it was nothing like the pain from before. She lay in a bed in a house that smelled familiar, and she definitely recognised the horse in the framed photograph on the wall.

"Elizabeth?" Louisa tried to call as she tried to sit up. But her throat was so dry that it came out as more of a croak. Groaning, Louisa pressed a hand to her forehead. It only made her head hurt worse, though. "Ow, ow, ow..." Tears sprang to her eyes as she trembled.

"Oh, good, you're awake," said Elizabeth, finally entering the room. She held a jug of water and a glass, which she set on the nightstand after pouring Louisa a glass of water. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," said Louisa, taking the glass of water and gulping it down. It had never tasted sweeter, though that was almost certainly because of the fact that it came from the Silversong River.

"I'm sorry," said Elizabeth. Louisa looked at her blearily, then set her glass down and put her glasses on.

"What? What are you sorry for?" Louisa asked.

"I shouldn't have taken you in there," said Elizabeth. "It was too soon, you weren't ready."

"It's okay, you didn't know I'd react like that," said Louisa. "I didn't even know I'd react like that. What happened?"

"Avalon believes that you're an empath," said Elizabeth. "Meaning that you can feel the pain of others."

"I've never been able to do that before," said Louisa. "Why now?"

"The same reason you suddenly developed the ability to heal, I imagine," said Elizabeth. "Because that is, unfortunately, just how Jorvik is."

"Does that mean that I have to become a hermit now?" Louisa asked, her mind working far too quickly. "Live away from everyone so I don't have to feel their pain? I just wanted to learn more about horses." Tears were sliding down her face.

"Oh, sweetie, no," said Elizabeth, hugging her. "We'll figure this out, there have been other empaths before you. You're just rare."

"Can I stay with you?" Louisa asked. "Just don't hurt yourself at all." There were too many strangers in Moorland, too many people who could potentially get hurt. And her dad... she knew how clumsy he could be. Not to mention, after what had just happened, she wanted to know everything about what she was. Especially how to deal with this pain that she felt from others.

"Of course," said Elizabeth, nodding at her. "I'll just let the Moorlands know, and you can let your dad know. I'll look after you, don't worry."

"Thank you," said Louisa, trembling. "And one more thing."

"Anything," said Elizabeth.

"Could I maybe get something to eat? I'm starving," said Louisa. Elizabeth laughed.

"After the feat you just managed, I'd imagine so," said Elizabeth. "Come on, let's have us a feast."

Beaming, though her head still swam, Louisa stumbled out of bed and after Elizabeth.


	4. A Druid Feast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth gives Louisa a new task to focus on.

The first time that Louisa had tried to follow Elizabeth out of the bedroom, she had gotten out of bed and her vision had filled with black spots accompanied by the worst headspin that she'd ever experienced. When she'd come to, Elizabeth had been smiling down at her fondly, and Louisa had found herself back in the bed, this time with a cool, damp towel laid over her forehead.

"Probably better for you to stay here," Elizabeth had advised her. "I'll let you know when food's ready."

"If I don't smell it first," Louisa had joked, glad when Elizabeth wasn't offended. She hadn't meant it like that, of course, just... generally, you could smell food once it was ready. Even if Elizabeth's smelled... bad.

Now, Louisa found that she was right about smelling it first, though she was annoyed at her stomach for growling. She really didn't want to eat whatever Elizabeth served up, no matter how hungry she was. No offense to Elizabeth, of course, she just... couldn't cook. Bracing herself, not only for the food but so that her body could support her weight this time, Louisa got to her feet, taking it one bit at a time. Her legs wobbled and her vision greyed out again but, taking deep breaths, Louisa managed to clear her vision and take another step.

"Oh, I was just coming to get you, are you okay?" Elizabeth asked, seeing Louisa appear in the kitchen doorway. She started across the kitchen, taking Louisa's arm and steering her over to the table. "Come on, sit down."

"Geeze, Elizabeth, I'm not an invalid," said Louisa with a laugh, though her legs did fold beneath her as she sat down at the kitchen table. Mercifully, Elizabeth brought her over a mug of tea first, though the something on the stove was still bubbling away, smelling noxious. Weed killers smelled better than that. In fact, she was pretty sure that it had smelled like that when the sink had been backed up.

"Well, you might be if you're not careful," said Elizabeth. "We're already down one healer, we don't need another one dropping off the perch. One who's the best healer we've seen in quite some time, I might add."

"I'm sure you say that to all the healers," said Louisa with a laugh as she pulled the tea to her lips and started to sip at it. Elizabeth had remembered the sugar, which touched her heart. It felt different, though, warmth and life filling Louisa as she drank.

"Okay, you caught me," said Elizabeth with a laugh. "But I'm serious, what you achieved was incredible. Not many healers can boast that they've healed the entire infirmary back to full health."

"It did make me pass out," Louisa reminded her. "So I can see why not many healers have managed to achieve that."

"Why did you, if I can ask?" Elizabeth asked. "Though I guess I just did."

"I just wanted the pain to stop," said Louisa. "Does that make me selfish?"

"Tricky question," Elizabeth mused. "I'll have to pitch it to Avalon, he likes to mull over these things."

"Avalon," said Louisa, her brown furrowed. "Why do I remember that name?"

"He was the grey-robed druid at the infirmary, it's his house," said Elizabeth. "Odd guy, never shows his face."

"Oh yeah, him," said Louisa.

"He's a nice guy, I'm sure you'll like him once you get to know him," said Elizabeth. A buzz came from the stove, causing Elizabeth to hurry over to it. "And that would be your... well, technically you're breaking a fast, so let's say breakfast." She laughed, and Louisa couldn't help but smile despite how much she very much did not want to eat the slop that Elizabeth was ladling into a soup bowl. It looked green and chunky, and Louisa felt vaguely nauseous.

"What is it?" Louisa asked, hating that her appetite was alive and well despite the bowl that was set before her with a spoon.

"My take on fish ball soup," said Elizabeth. "I may have overdone it with the herbs a little, though."

"No kidding," said Louisa, resisting the urge to poke one of the odd lumps. At least it was hot and presumably cooked.

"Sorry," said Elizabeth, grimacing. "The single life means that I don't often have to cook for others."

"Hey, I'll eat it, I'm starving," said Louisa. Besides, Elizabeth might have put some kind of restorative herbs in it like she'd presumably done with the tea.

"You really don't have to suffer through it for my sake," said Elizabeth. "You overworked yourself and passed out because of me, after all."

"Hey, I told you, you couldn't have known," said Louisa as she picked up her spoon and braced herself. Elizabeth looked at her so sadly as Louisa scooped up a fish ball and slid it into her mouth. It wasn't bad, exactly, but there were just so many herbs... Elizabeth had made a pesto, and Louisa almost gagged (but didn't, not wanting to be rude).

Mercifully, after the first fish ball, the rest of the 'soup' went down with no issues, though Louisa was sure that she'd be tasting those herbs for weeks afterward.

"You're a braver woman than most of our recruits," said Elizabeth, shock on her face as Louisa pushed the empty bowl away. "Most of them point-blank refuse to eat what I cook."

"My mum taught me manners," said Louisa. "And to eat what's put in front of you or you don't get dessert."

"Lucky for you, I am much better with desserts than I am with savoury meals," said Elizabeth. "But Jenna told me that you've offered to cook a few times? Are you any good at it?"

"Actually, yeah, I cooked quite a lot for dad when I was staying with him while I was waiting for the summer camp to start," said Louisa. "You know how bachelors are."

"More cans in the cupboard than an apocalypse bunker," said Elizabeth. Louisa laughed.

"Yep," said Louisa, nodding. "But why did you ask me if I could cook?"

"Well, we found you at a perfect time, actually," said Elizabeth. "We're having a bit of a druid feast this weekend, and I'm sure our other recruits would like it if they could have something nice to eat at it."

"Sure, I can do that," said Louisa. "I'd be happy to, cooking for other people is one of my favourite things." She'd often cooked for her family back home, and there was nothing quite like sharing her freshly-baked cookies and scones and slices at picnics with friends. And cooking breakfast over a campfire... She tried to shake off those memories, though, not wanting to get caught up in the past and end up in tears.

"Thank you," said Elizabeth with a relieved sigh. "And hopefully you'll be able to meet some of our other recruits there, if they decide to show up. Do you like parties?"

"Not really," said Louisa, guilt neatly extinguishing any good feelings at being able to cook for others.

"Oh. Well, that's okay, you don't need to," said Elizabeth. "I'm sure you can meet them all in time. I'll also warn them to be extra careful, can't have our cook incapacitated because she can feel someone's broken wrist or something."

"Thank you," said Louisa, meaning it for both things. She'd been worried, for a moment, that Elizabeth would have been disappointed that she didn't really want to be thrust into a large crowd of strangers.

"Hey, we've got all types here," said Elizabeth. "I'm sure you'll find someone to hit it off with. Maybe even someone to hit on. Do people still say that?"

"I think so," said Louisa with a surprised laugh. "Didn't think I'd be coming here looking for love, to be honest."

"Nobody ever looks for love, though many find it anyway," said Elizabeth. "But you don't need to worry about that. Just think about what you might like to cook for our feast."

"Are there any allergies?" Louisa asked. Elizabeth nodded.

"One of our recruits is allergic to seafood, and I know one is allergic to peanuts. Also we have one vegetarian."

"Okay," said Louisa, nodding and glad for something to focus on. "What about hamburgers? Beef for the non-vegos and mushroom for the vegos?"

"Sounds good," said Elizabeth.

"And a fruit salad, that's easy enough," said Louisa. "Maybe some cookies too, and some chips..."

"Chips?' Elizabeth echoed.

"Right, you call them fries here," said Louisa. "I'll make a list and start looking for recipes. Maybe some quiches and a cake..."

Over the next few days, Elizabeth didn't have Louisa do too much, wanting her to conserve her strength for the weekend. Louisa was grateful for it, even if it did involve a lot of healing minor cuts on Elizabeth's hands.

"Do you know that you hum when you heal?" Elizabeth asked. Louisa seemed to remember something like that but shook her head. It was too hazy, more like a dream than anything concrete.

"Do I?" Louisa asked, frowning at Elizabeth. Elizabeth nodded.

"The song of Aideen, though I'm sure you're not aware of it," said Elizabeth. "Nor do I believe that you've ever heard it before. Unfortunately, it can only be heard on the West Wall cliff in the Firgrove mountains. It's a bit treacherous up there, though, so you'll need someone to go with you. And we unfortunately can't spare anyone for that journey right now."

"Darn," said Louisa. "But I'm sure it's very nice."

"It's something that will make you truly believe in magic," said Elizabeth, smiling fondly. "Ah, if only we had the resources and time to take new recruits up there. But most don't want to rise at dawn or before anyway to hear it."

"Oh, I can get up early no problem," said Louisa.

"Yes, I've seen that," said Elizabeth drily. Louisa blushed, remembering how she'd gotten up early every day that she'd been staying here to cook breakfast for herself and Elizabeth. She knew that she'd need the fuel, and it was just a nice habit to have. Also, a large part of her missed the banquet-like breakfast that was served at Moorland for the summer camp. "Not that I'm complaining, mind, you're a very good recruit in that regard. You remind me of Willow, honestly."

"Willow?" Louisa repeated.

"One of our recruits," said Elizabeth. "You'll like her, I think. She's quite serious and always has her nose to the grindstone, but she's a nice enough girl. She helps me grow my herbs, though she's nice enough to politely refuse my food. I only 'made' her force down one meal, though she was very nice about it."

"Some of my generation have manners," said Louisa with a laugh. Elizabeth smiled at her.

Despite the lessons (none of which covered the empathy, which was annoying but Louisa understood), the week zipped by far too quickly for Louisa's liking. On the day of the feast, which would be a lunch 'picnic' of sorts, Louisa shook with nerves as she stood in front of Elizabeth's stove. She'd make the baked goods first, and then the burgers and chips when it came closer to lunchtime. Also the fruit salad and actual salads. Or vegetable salads, she guessed. Traditional ones.

As she got into the cooking, though, Louisa found her nerves fading away as she instead focused on perfecting the meals and thought about how lovely it would be to have everyone eating her food. They'd be glad not to have to eat Elizabeth's food, that was for sure, and Elizabeth seemed happy to leave the cooking to Louisa. She did make some candy, though, the one thing that Elizabeth seemed to be good at. Apparently, she made candy canes every Christmas. Louisa hoped that she would this year, and that she'd get to try some.

Lunchtime arrived all too quickly, but Louisa was ready as she carried the platter of hamburgers outside to where tables had been set up in the space between the stables and the inn. There were a lot of people milling about, and Louisa tried to resist the urge to hide behind her food platter.

"Is that hamburgers?" one girl asked, her grey eyes huge. "Awesome! We never get those here."

"Then you're lucky we found Louisa," said Elizabeth, coming to Louisa's side and stopping her from panicking too much. "Louisa, this is Alex, our Lightning Soul Rider."

"Hi," said Louisa, her eyes quickly skating away from Alex. Elizabeth hadn't warned her how good Alex looked, though she saw Elizabeth's knowing smirk and knew that she was blushing.

"Alex, this is Louisa, our newest healer," said Elizabeth.

"Oh! Are you the one who can feel the pain of others?" Alex asked. Louisa nodded, and Elizabeth did not miss the gleam of excitement in Alex's eyes.

"Test it and I'll force-feed you my special recipe," said Elizabeth.

"Fine," Alex huffed. "But I will take one of these burgers because they look delicious."

"I see you're not immune to The Alex Effect," said Elizabeth, smirking as Alex walked away while Louisa set down her burger platter on one of the tables.

"You didn't tell me the recruits were hot," said Louisa, her cheeks still flaming. Elizabeth laughed.

"Well, they're all a bit young for me," said Elizabeth. "Though would that have made you want to come to the feast?"

"I am but a weak lesbian," Louisa muttered. Elizabeth smiled at her.

Despite her renewed spirits, Louisa still didn't spend much time socialising at the feast, instead choosing to sit on her own and people-watch. She always did that at parties. She saw at least one blonde girl who seemed to be having fun and flirting with everyone, hanging out with a brown-skinned freckled boy who was doing the same thing, though he focused on the boys. Of which there were also a few, most notably a tall, muscled one who towered over everyone and wore dark sunglasses. And there was another girl, one with brown hair, who hung around the tall guy. And then there was a red-haired girl sitting with a plump brown-skinned girl, the two so obviously girlfriends that Louisa felt happy just looking at them. And there was another blonde girl, a girl with pink and purple hair that looked like braided fairy floss, another guy with brown hair, another girl with brown hair, a girl with black hair... Louisa's mind spun just looking at them, and she felt the pang of loneliness as she saw them all socialising so easily. She should be out there, she knew that. If she could just take that leap and hope that they'd like her... But if she was going to be working with them, then... maybe she should go up and introduce herself. Maybe at the next meeting like this, or if she saw one out and about. Yeah. That sounded like a good idea.


End file.
